Corn-planter



No. 609,420. Patented Aug. 23-, I898.

W. H. ECKMAN.

CORN PLANTER. (Application filed Apr. 18, 189B.) Modem 2 shets sheet Nii? THE NcRRIs PETERS co.. Wrrnnrruo.v WASHINGTON. u, c,

No. 609,420. I Patented Aug. 23, I898.

w, H. ECKMAN.

BORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.)

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I Nrrnn TATES' ATENT rrrcn'.

\VILLIAM II. EOKMAN, OF PLUM'IREE, INDIANA.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,420, dated August23, 1898.

Application filed April 18, 1898. $erial No. 6'78 ,063. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ECKMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plumtree, in the county of Huntington and State ofIndiana,have invented a new and useful Corn- Planter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in corn-planters; and one objectthat I have in view is to provide an improved means for operating thedropping-slide from one of the carrying-wheels of the machine, wherebyto dispense with the check-row mechanism and the use of a check-wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved markermechanism which is operated automatically to indicate by aplainly-visible mark in the ground the places where the corn is plantedin hills.

A further object of the invention is to provide means by which theoperating mechanism for the dropper-slide may be easily and readilythrown out of service for the purpose of discontinuing the plantingoperation when turning in a field to clear a stump or other obstructionor reversing the machine at the end of the row, and the operatingmechanism for the dropper-slide may be readily detached from the machinewhen it is desired to use the latter for the purpose of planting thegrain in drills.

Vith these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combinationof elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated thepreferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of somuch of a cornplanter as is necessary to an understanding of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown by Fig. 1. Fig.3 is an enlarged sectional view through the operating mechanism for thedropper-slide embodying my invention. Fig. at is an enlarged detail viewof the slidable and rotary compound cam and gear. Fig. die onenlargedldetail view of the marker devices.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in eachof the several figures of the drawings.

is an axle on which the carrying or driving wheels are mounted. 3 is thedropping-slide, and 4 is the seat. All these devices are of the usual orany preferred construction known to those skilled in the art,and theonly modification therein necessary to adapt my improvements to existingcorn-planters is the provision of a bend or loop 3 in the axle at apoint within one of the carrying or driving Wheels 13.

5 indicates a carrier rod or bar which is arranged longitudinally of theplanter-frame and'passes'through the bend or drop 3 in the axle. Thiscarrier rod or baris reduced at a point intermediate of its length toform a stem 6 and a shoulder 6 between the bar and its reduced stem. Thefront end of the carrier-bar is extended to a part of the planter-frame,and it is fastened thereto by a single vertical bolt 7; but the stem atthe rear end of said bar is held in proper position by a supporting-bar8, which lies substantially at right angles to the carrier bar 5 and isloosely fitted thereon either by inserting one end of the carrier-bar 8in an opening of the carrier-rod 5, as shown by Fig. 1, or looselyconnecting the parts in any other suitable way. This supporting-bar 8 isslidably fitted in suitable guides 10, fixed on the rear end of theplanterframe, and around said supporting-bar is fitted a coiled spring11, which is fitted against the planterframe or a guide 10 and alsoagainst the carrier-bar inorder to hold the latter in place relativelyto the driving-wheel13 for the gearing to have proper engagement, aswill presently appear. The supporting-bar 8 for the carrier-rod 5 isheld in its adjusted position by a locking-pin 12,-which is adjustablyconnected to the planter-frame. Y

The driving or carrying wheel 13 ofthe machine .is: equipped with adrivinggear 14, which is in theform of a ring or annulus securely boltedor otherwise attached to the inner face or side of the wheel 13, andsaiddriving-gear 14 is provided with a series of teeth 15. These teeth maybe inthe form of t 1 designates the frame of the planter. 2 55.

both rotary and reciprocating movement thereon, and this compound gearand cam is one of the essential features of my improved means foroperating the dropper-slide from the driving-wheel 13 of the machine.This compound gear and cam maybe made in one piece of metal or of twopieces which are rigidly united together in any preferred way, and saidcompound gear and cam is in the form of a she11,the front part of whichis provided with an axial opening or passage 17, which is of largerdiameter than the axial opening or passage 18 at the rear part of saidgear and cam. The opening 18 in the gear and cam is adapted to receivethe reduced stem 6 of the carrierbar,on which the gear and cam is fittedloosely for both rotary and reciprocating movement. The gear-section ofthe compound gear and cam is formed by a series of longitudinal teeth19, which project radially from the rear part of the compound gear andcam, while the camsection is formed on the front part of the gear andcam for the purpose of engaging with a fixed stud or roller on thecarrier-bar 5. The cam-track 20 is of spiral form at the front end ofthe compound gear and cam, and this spiral length of the cam-trackextends from a straight ledge or face 21 to a point 22, which point isformed by the intersection of the spiral length 20 with a longitudinallength 23 of the cam-track, said longitudinal length 23 of the cam-trackbeing slightlyinclined to the longitudinal axis of the compound gear andcam. This form of the cam is advantageous in that the gear-section andthe cam are caused to have a longitudinal or reciprocating movement onthe carrier-bar 5 when the cam is rotated by the driving-gear 14, and asthe gear-teeth 19 are arranged longitudinally of the gear and cam thiselement is adapted to have the proper reciprocating movement on thecarrier-bar 5 without disengagement of the driving-gear 14 from thecompound gear and cam no matter what position the latter may occupy onthe carrierrod.

24 designates the fixed stud which is mounted on the carrier-rod to liein the path of the cam-track 20 on the compound gear and cam; but inlieu of a fixed stud an antifrictionroller may be provided to reduce thewear and friction between the cam-track and the stud.

The dropping-slide 3 of the planter mechanism is reciprocated byconnections with the reciprocating cam and gear 16, and in theembodiment of the invention represented by the drawings I employ atrip-lever 25, which is fulcrumed, as at 26, to a bar 27, forminga partof the front end of the planter-frame. This trip-lever 25 is'pivoted atone end, as at 28, to the dropper slide or bar 3, and the other end orhandle of said trip-lever is connected by suitable devices with aslidable spider 29, in operative engagement with the compound gear andcam. This spider 29 is provided with a central sleeve or hub 30, whichis of sufficient length to insure the spider sliding freely on thereduced stem of the carrier-bar, and this spider is adapted to abutagainst the rear end or heel of the compound gear, the spider being of adiameter to lie within the line of the series of longitudinal teeth 19on the compound gear and cam. The spider is adapted to travel with thecompound gear and cam in its movements lengthwise on the stem of thecarrier-bar; but said spider is fitted loosely on the carrier-bar andagainst the heel of the cam, so that the latter may rotate withoutaffecting the spider orimparting rotary motion thereto. This spider andthe trip-lever are operatively connected by an intermediate connection31,which may be in the form of a rod, a cable, a chain, or a cord,either of which devices may be used in the practical use of myinvention; but I prefer to employa metallic rod,which is suitablyattached to the spider and the trip-lever.

32 designates a coiled impelling-spring which is fitted on the rearextremity of the stem 6, forming a part of the carrier-bar, and one endof this spring bears against a suitable abutment, while its other end isseated against the hub or sleeve of the spider 29. This impelling springserves to normally force the spider and compound gear and cam lengthwiseon the carrier-bar toward the stud or roller 24, whereby the cam-track20 is normally held in engagement with the shoulder or roller 24 and inrearward movement of the compound gear and cam is effected only bycompression of the impelling sprin g 32.

In my improved mechanism I have also provided means by which thecompound gear and cam may be moved or drawn out of engagement with thedrivinggear 14. The means shown for effecting this end consists in theemployment of an adjusting rope or cable 33, which is suitably attachedat one end to the carrier-bar 5, and this adjusting rope or cableextends across the planterframe, so that it is within convenient reachof the operator. The adjusting rope or cable may be provided withsuitable means for operation by the foot of the driver, and, if desired,a pin 34 may be employed to hold the adjusting rope or cable and thecarrier-bar in the retracted positions, or, if desired, the pin 3% maybe engaged with the supportingbar 8 for the carrier-rod 5. It isevident, however, that a lever and suitable connections with thecarrier-bar may be substituted for the adjusting rope or cable for .thepurpose of moving the carrier-bar to a position where the compound gearand cam is free from engagement with the driving-gear 14.

Another feature of myinvention resides in the employment of a marker bywhich the hills where the corn is planted may be designated by aplainly-visible mark in the ground, and this marker mechanism isoperatively connected with the driving mechanism for the dropping-slide,so that themarker operates in unison with the dropping mechanism and ata suitable period of time after the deposit of the seed in the hill. Inthis part of 1 my invention I employ a hanger 35, which is suitablyattached to the drill-tube, and the vertical part of this hanger isbifurcated or forked to receive an arbor or shaft 36, which is suitablyjournaled in the free ends of the members forming a part of the hanger35. This arbor or shaft 36 carries a marker-plate 37, which is rigidlyattached to the arbor to rotate therewith,and the marker-plate ispreferably of polygonal form, so as to provide a plurality of edgeswhich lie at angles to each other. The marker is adapted to be held toits position in the ground by the weight of the machine interposed inpart upon the hanger but the rotation of the marker is arrested by theemployment of a locking gravity stem or pin 38,which is fitted insuitable guides 39. This locking stem or pin is fitted in guides, sothat its lower extremity or foot will engage with an orifice in one ofthe sides of the polygonal-sided marker-plate 37, and thus prevent thelatter from rotating as the machine is drawn forward; but this gravitystem or pin is adapted to be retracted from engagement with themarker-plate by an operating-cord 40,which is attached to the rod 31between the spider 29 and the trip-lever 25, said operating-cord passingover an idler guide sheave or roller 41, suitably journaled on theframe.

The operation may be described as follows: When the machine is inmotion, the drivinggear 14 rotates the compound gear and cam, and assaid gear and cam turns 011 the stem of the carrier-bar the cam-track 20rides against the stud or roller 24. In one point of revolution of thecam and gear the roller or stud rides against the straight ledge or face21, and as the cam and gear continues to rotate the spiral length 20 ofthe cam-track bears against the stud or roller 24, thereby forcing thegear and cam rearwardly against the tension of the impelling-spring 32until the point 22 is reached, at which time the spring forces the camin a forward direction and causes the longitudinal inclined face 23 toride against the stud or roller 24. r In the rearward travel of thecompound gear and cam the spider 29 travels therewith and the spring 32is compressed and the rod 31 is drawn rearwardly to operate thetrip-lever 25, which in turn moves the dropping slide or bar 3 of theplanting mechanism to deposit the seed or grain in the ground. Themarker mechanism is arranged at a suitable distance in rear of thefurrow-opener or drill of the planter, and as the rod 31 is drawnrearwardly by the spider on the rearward thrust of the forward withthespider and the compound gear and cam under the influence of thespring 32, the strain on the operating-cord is released to allowthegravity-pin 38 to descend into locking engagement with the markerplate37, thus arresting the operation there of until the planting mechanismis again operated to deposit the seed in the ground. By removingthe-locking-p'in 12 from the supporting-bar 8 and adjusting the rope orcable 33 with the foot the operator is able to move the carrier-bar 5inwardly toward the frame of the machine, and thus retract the compoundgear and cam from engagement with the teeth of the drivinggear 14,thereby impels thepivoted carrier-bar 5 in a direction toward thedriving-wheel 13, and thus the teeth 19 of the compound gear and cam aremoved into proper engagement with certain of the teeth on thedriving-gear 14.

I have shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings a coiled spring 42 attached to atrip-lever 25 and to the fixed frame or bar 44, and this spring servesto hold the trip-lever in a retracted position and also to assist theaction of the impelling-spring 32, which controls the compound gear andcam.

i The furrow-opener or drill-tube of th planter is provided with afender 45, which is arranged to travel in advance of the marker 37 andclear its path of any weeds or obstructions, thereby preventinginterference with.

the free operation of the marker device.

My improved planter is adapted to plant the corn in hills opposite toeach other, and the machine is simple and cheap in constructionanddurable and ef cient in operation. The planting mechan ism isoperated automatically from one of the driving or carrying wheels of themachine-frame, and it dispenses with the usual check wire or chain, thesupporting and adjusting devices for said checkwire, and the complicatedcheck-wire mechanism carried by the machine itself.

My improvement also obviates the employment of a'nextra seat and handplanting apparatus and the services of an additional attendant to plantat the ends of the field. The machine may be used continuously throughout the entire day without subjecting the operator to undue fatigue, andin passing around obstructions in the path of the machine the operatormay throw the planting mechanism out of service, and when the machinereaches the point to again resume the operation of planting the exactposition of the hillsis deter:

mined by the marks in the ground, thereby enabling the operator toproperly gage or space the lines of planting of the machine with respectto the previous hills.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and in thedetails of construction may be made by a skilled mechanic withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention,and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as clearlyfall within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In acorn-planter, the combination with a dropper mechanism, of a compoundgear and cam capable of rotary and reciprocating play, and operativeconnections between said compound gear and cam and the droppermechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a corn-planter, the combination with a dropper mechanism and adriving device, of a compound gear and cam normally geared to thedriving device, means for imparting reciprocating motion to the compoundgear and cam as it is rotated by the driving device, and operativeconnections between said compound gear and cam and the droppermechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a corn-planter, the combination with a dropper mechanism, and arotary driving device, of a compound gear and cam normally engaging withsaid driving device, an abutment in the path of the cam-section forimparting reciprocating movement to the compound gear and cam as it isrotated bythe driving device, a pressure device by which the compoundgear and cam is normally in engagement with said abutment, andconnections between the dropper mechanism and the compound gear and cam,substantially as described.

a 4. In a corn-planter, the combination with a dropper mechanism, and arotary driving device, of a carrier-bar mounted for adj ustment towardor from said driving device, a compound gear and cam fitted loosely onthe carrier-bar to rotate and reciprocate thereon, an abutment on saidcarrier-bar in the path of said cam, means for normally pressing thecam-section of said compound gear and cam in engagement with theabutment, operative connections between the dropper mechanism and saidcompound cam-gear, and means for adjusting the carrier-bar toward orfrom the driving device, substantially as described.

5. In a corn-planter, the combination with a dropper mechanism, and arotary driving device of a shiftable carrier, a compound camgear mountedloosely on said carrier-bar for reciprocating and rotary movementthereon, operative connections between the dropper mechanism and thecompound cam-gear, and a supporting bar loosely connected to theshiftable carrier to support the latter and adjust it relatively to thedriving device, substantially as described.

6. In a corn-planter, the combination with a dropper mechanism and acarrying-wheel, of a driving-gear rotating with said carrierwheel, acarrier-bar, a compound gear and cam fitted loosely on the carrier-bar,an abutment on the carrier-bar lying in the path of said cam, a spiderwhich reciprocates with a compound gear and cam from free rotaryengagement therewith, an impelling-spring acting against the spider, andoperative connections between the dropper mechanism and the spider,substantially as described.

7. In a corn-planter, the combination with a dropper mechanism and adriving-gear on one of the carrier-wheels, of a shiftable carrierbarprovided with a stud or abutment, a slidable supporting bar looselyconnected with the carrier-bar and normally held in position by aspring, a compound gear and cam loosely fitted on the carrier-bar forthe gear member thereof to mesh with the driving-gear and for its cammember to ride against the abutment, a spider adapted to travel with thecompound gear and cam, a pressure-spring for said spider, and operativeconnections between the dropper mechanism and the spider, substantiallyas described.

8. In a corn-planter, the combination with a dropper-bar, of atrip-lever connected thereto, a rod attached to said trip-lever, acarrierbar having a stud or abutment, a compound gear and cam slidablyfitted on the carrierbar and engaging with the stud or abutment, aspider fitted against the compound gear and cam and attached to theoperating-rod of the trip-lever, and a driving-gear meshing with thegear member of the compound gear and cam, substantially as described.

9. In a corn-planter, the combination with a planting mechanism and adrill, of a markerhanger attached to said drill, a polygonal marker-diskidly journaled in the markerhanger, a gravity locking-stem arranged toengage with said polygonal disk, and connections between thelocking-stem and the planting mechanism to retract the locking-stem fromengagement with the marker-disk at suitable intervals, substantially asdescribed.

10. In a corn-planter, the combination with a reciprocating rod formingan operative connection between a driving mechanism and a planter-bar,of a marker-hanger attached to the drill-tube, a polygonal marker-platejournaled idly in the marker-hanger, a gravity locking-stem guided bythe marker-hanger and arranged to engage with the marker-plate at itsangles or corners, and a flexible connection between the locking-stemand said reciprocating rod, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WM. H. EOKMAN. Witnesses:

OHAs. II. BUFFINGTON, CHAS. H. FoUsT.

IIC

